Casa Dona Maxima, built by the Spanish feudal lords of Quirra, is a typical 16th-century manor house. The building has some typical features of the Campidanese house, such as “sa lolla” with an arched structure and outbuildings surrounding the perimeter walls.
The House is named after Donna Massima Orrù, the last owner belonging to the noble Orrù family, who purchased the property from the Quirras in the early 1800s. In 1856 it was leased by the Municipality of San Gavino to house the Mandamental Judiciary Office, the Girls’ Elementary School, and the Royal Carabinieri Station. Around 1970 it was purchased by the Board and restored for use as a house-museum. Since 1994, it has housed the ethnographic museum, which holds the furnishings and utensils of Campidanese culture, as well as historical artifacts from the World Wars. The rooms on the ground floor are furnished like a 19th-century Campidanese house, while the attic is used as an exhibition hall.
